Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code

Average customer rating:

Answering Questions or Creating More?

Searcher of the Truth

Secrets of the Code

Balanced Info, Pathetic Copyediting and Proofreading

A Wonderful Companion to a Great Book!

Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code
Dan Burstein
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature & Fiction | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
Classics | Literature & Fiction | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
Thrillers | Mysteries & Thrillers | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
General | Classics | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Holy Blood, Holy Grail

The Templar Revelation: Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ

The Da Vinci Code: Special Illustrated Edition: A Novel

The Da Vinci Code

Secrets of Angels & Demons: The Unauthorized Guide To The Bestselling Novel

ASIN: B000H0M6JQ

Book Description

How to satisfy the endless hunger for information among the millions of readers caught up in The Da Vinci Code mania? Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code is the most comprehensive, literate guide available for interpreting the intellectual intricacies of Dan Brown's bestselling novel.

This unprecedented volume provides a wealth of fresh insight from the world's most respected authorities on the novel's controversial historical, religious, artistic, and scientific themes. Interviews and commentary from renowned scientists, theologians, archeologists, philosophers, historians, and art historians address such provocative topics as:

* What was the true identity of Mary Magdalene? Was Mary Magdalene a disciple of Jesus and did she write her own gospel?

* Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene? Did they have a child together?

* In the late 1960s, the Church publicly reversed its 1,400-year-old position that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, but this revised history was never effectively communicated to the public. Has there been a "cover-up" of the role of women in church history?

* Did some geniuses of art and science--like Leonardo DaVinci and Isaac Newton--belong to secret societies that had the most compelling "insider information" in history? Did Leonardo convey some of the ideas in The Last Supper and other paintings?

Packed with excerpts from many original works, all-new material, and interviews with prominent scholars, Secrets of the Code will satisfy readers'curiosity, engage their imagination, and provide them with insights to better understand the multi-facted mysteries, secret codes, and messages embedded in the novel. Meticulously researched and compulsively readable, this volume is an excellent choice for book clubs and discussion groups.

CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Diane Apostolos-Cappadona * Michael Baigent * Esther de Boer * David Downie * Betsy Eble Bart Ehrman * Timothy Freke * Peter Gandy * Deirdre Good * Susan Haskins * Katherine L. Jansen * Karen King * Richard Leigh * Henry Lincoln * James Martin, S.J. * Richard McBrien * Laura Miller * Sherwin B. Nuland * Elaine Pagels * Lynn Picknett * Clive Prince * James Robinson * Simon Singh * Margaret Starbird * David van Biema * Kenneth Woodward

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dan Burstein is an award-winning journalist and bestselling author of six books on global economics and technology, including Yen! Euroquake, Road Warriors, and Big Dragon. The founder of Millennium Technology Ventures, a New York-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative new technology companies, he has often written about the mysteries and complexities of the future. Secrets of the Code is his first book that explores mysteries and complexities of the past.

Customer Reviews:

Answering Questions or Creating More?.......2007-09-15

Like many readers, I was fascinated with the historical background surrounding Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," but like many readers was left with a lot of questions once I finished the book. Dan Burstein's "Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the Da Vinci Code" is a great compilation of experts writing on a variety of topics all related to the book, "The Da Vinci Code." The individuals included are experts in their chosen fields, from archaeology to religion. The arguments in the book cover a wide range of opinion on any given topic and do not always agree with each other. Indeed, this is the strength of the book. Where many others have written books seeking to present findings about "The Da Vinci Code" from a particular slant, Burstein simply presents it all, and allows readers to make up their own minds.

"Secrets of the Code" addresses a wide range of questions related to the book, including some of the following: Who was Mary Magdalene? How did the early Christians view their religion (including Jesus)? What role do codes and numbers play in "The Da Vinci Code"? What is Dan Brown's background, and how did that contribute to the story? And, of course, there are many many more topics too numerous to list.

"Secrets of the Code" also includes a great reference list with details about other books on topics of interest, such as the Knights Templar. Burstein has also included some insider information on Dan Brown's next book, which is said to feature early US history, Washington, DC, and masonic rituals. I learned so much from this book...and I highly recommend it as a jumping off point for even more reading for those who were intrigued by "The Da Vinci Code"!

Searcher of the Truth.......2007-06-07

I was highly interested in Dan Burstein's expose of Brown's Da Vinci Code for the first half of the 626 page book but after that he wandered off into every other book or play with the same plot that is out there and goes into Brown's life and schooling etc. If you want a bio of Dan Brown, then the 2nd half is great but I found it rather boring and not telling anything about the controversial "secrets". That is done well enough in the first 200 pages --giving both pros and cons of the various themes brought on in Brown's book.
One thing that irked me was how he continuously gives Brown so much credit for being the "first" to bring all the Mary Magdalene/Jesus/Templar hidden knowledge to light. This was not new territory to those who have been studying the underground, hidden religion for years. Another book, The Secret Order, which was every bit as informative and entertaining as Brown's book was published 2 months before and covered the same story and subject matter. If you want a very good enlightening and uplifting book then I suggest you read The Secret Order.

Secrets of the Code.......2007-01-22

More informative than the Da Vinci Code itself. The number of simple, factual errors in DVC such as unchecked Paris geography was quite remarkable. Nonetheless, DVC has helped generate a questioning attitude towards received dogma which I believe to be healthy and the Unauthorized Guide helps to further stimulate that interest.

Balanced Info, Pathetic Copyediting and Proofreading.......2006-06-22

Time is money. Money is everything. When a book about a hot book is rushed through the development process to hit the stores at the right time, slopiness prevails.

I found the wealth of information balanced and interesting. But too many typos and even shredded, repeated lines do not lend credence to an overall book. Shabby editing and copyediting make one feel the research may be shabby too. That's why I've given it a "C" rating. It shot itself in the foot.

A Wonderful Companion to a Great Book!.......2006-06-16

I found this to be a wonderful companion book to The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It was fascinating to have it nearby as I reread Brown's book & used it as a cross-reference. The writing was clear, concise & to the point. I think that my only complaint would be that the reference material in the book can be a little dry for some. All in all a good read. 4 out of 5 stars!

Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the Da Vinci Code (Running Press Miniature Editions)

Average customer rating:

Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the Da Vinci Code (Running Press Miniature Editions)

Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Holy Blood, Holy Grail

Accessories:

Moleskine Pocket Ruled Notebook

ASIN: 076242852X

Book Description

Dan Brown's bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code, has captivated the imagination of millions of readers. Its provocative story and rich historical background has spurred wide interest in the author's source materials and has aroused controversies, both public and private, all over America. Readers everywhere want to know what is fact and what is fiction.

In this mini edition of Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code, Dan Burstein helps readers sort out fact, informed speculation, and fiction, by presenting the views of the experts. Readers will get a definitive guide to the novel, providing authoritative explorations into the major themes within The Da Vinci Code.

Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind The Da Vinci Code will delight and engage everyone who finished The Da Vinci Code thinking, "I need to know more about this book!"

Book Description

The complexity and dynamism of organizations make them difficult to understand and manage. This book presents the workings and designs of organizations and identifies the types of problems encountered by organizational workers. Allcorn provides an essential focus on dynamic workplace theory, questioning the current and future value of today's bureaucratic, hierarchic organizational structure. Allcorn advocates a shared theoretical perspective that is clear and comprehensive. His theory explains organizational life, encompassing four types of work experience: chaotic, bureaucratic, charismatic, and balanced. He proposes an organizational design that eschews positions of authority and power and eliminates severe, often hindering bureaucracy. Clear and comprehensible without being simplistic, the book offers insights into how organizations actually function and proposes ways to intervene when organizations grow stale, become self-defeating in their missions, or develop into hostile environments for their employees. The insights and ideas presented here are of considerable and enduring importance to corporate trainers, consultants, group process experts, governmental agencies and entities, executives at all levels, academics, and students of organizational life and its various processes.

Average customer rating:
Reference Handbook of Travel Investment Factors Georgia Coastal Plains & Bald Mountain
Inc. Conway Research
Manufacturer: Conway Data
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0910436436

Average customer rating:
Reference Handbook of Travel Investment Factors in the Georgia Mountains
Inc. Conway Research
Manufacturer: Conway Data
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0910436525

Book Description

This book presented a quick-reference compendium of facts for use by the investor who was considering investment in Georgia's growing travel and recreation industry. Contents included:

Regional travel investment factors

Profiles of the counties in the Georgia Mountains

Customer Reviews:

This book Really lives up to it's name!.......2002-04-22

This book really lives up to it's name! The Weirdest, Wackiest, Craziest Pracical joke book in the Universe is a great book to use if you really want to get back at somebody! Thanks for making this Book Aunt Laura! <3, the family

Book Description

This Companion provides a comprehensive view of Beethoven and his work. The first part of the book presents the composer as a private individual, as a professional, and at the work-place, discussing biographical problems, Beethoven's professional activities when not composing and his methods as a composer. In the heart of the book, individual chapters are devoted to all the major genres cultivated by Beethoven and to the elements of style and structure that cross all genres. The book concludes by looking at the ways that Beethoven and his music have been interpreted by performers, writers on music, and in the arts, literature, and philosophy. The essays in this volume, written by leading Beethoven specialists, maintain traditional emphases on Beethoven studies while incorporating some of the most recent developments in musicology and theory.

Customer Reviews:

Cambridge Companion to Beethoven.......2007-09-18

This product is a collection of essays by various Beethoven scholars. They tend to be on a general subject and appropriate for music students at a college level or beyond. You do not have to be a Beethoven expert or a seasoned musicologist to understand this work.

The Cambridge Beethoven.......2005-08-31

I recently spent considerable time with Beethoven's piano sonatas and string quartets and wanted to read the essays in this book devoted to these genres to supplement my listening. William Kinderman's essay: "The piano music: concertos, sonatas, variations, small forms" deals briefly but insightfully with Beethoven's body of work for the piano, focusing on the first three sonatas of opus 2, the "Waldstein and Appassionata" sonatas from Beethoven's mid-career, and the final three sonatas, opus nos. 109, 110, 111. John Daverio's essay, "Manner, tone, and tendency in Beethoven's chamber music for strings" is a difficult study which uses literary and critical theory to show the differences between the quartets of Beethoven's early and middle period on the one hand and the final quartets on the other hand. Both these essays were challenging and helped me with my listening.

But I couldn't stop with the two essays and proceeded to read the entire book, part of a series which presents the best of musical scholarship and thought on the great composers. This book of studies of Beethoven is edited by John Stanley of the University of Connecticut and consists of 17 essays by 16 scholars (Stanley has two essays) devoted to Beethoven's life and music. If there is a theme running through this varied collection, it is that each essay tries to put Beethoven in a musical or historical context.

The book is divided into four parts. The first part, "A Professional Portrait" consists of three essays discussing Beethoven's life, his compositional techniques (the use of sketchbooks), and the traditional division of his works into three periods. This part of the book includes a detailed and useful chronology of Beethoven's life.

The second part of the book, "Style and Structure" consists of three essays which deal broadly with Beethoven's works and which discuss similarities and differences between Beethoven and Haydn and Mozart. There is an excellent essay by Roger Kamien on Beethoven's use and development of thematic material which is technical but not beyond the reach of the devoted music lover.

The third part of the book, called "Genres" consists of seven essays which examine each of the major genres in which Beethoven composed. As I mentioned, the essays on the string quartets and the piano sonatas initially drew me to the book. The remaining essays cover Beethoven's symphonies, focusing on his imaginative orchestration, the genesis of Beethoven's opera "Fidelio", the chamber music with piano, including the violin sonatas, cello sonatas, and trios and their development over Beethoven's career, the religious music, and the songs. I particularly enjoyed this last essay by Amanda Glauert, "Beethoven's songs and vocal style" which traces Beethoven's songs from their origins in folk music and shows how Beethoven transformed the form. Beethoven's songs, I think, still are insufficiently appreciated.

The final section of the book, "Reception" consists of four essays which discuss the influence of Beethoven on other composers, different performance practices for Beethoven's music, the various ways in which Beethoven's music and personality have been viewed by the public (an excellent essay by Scott Burnham), and another excellent essay by David Dennis, concluding the book, which discusses Beethoven's influence on the arts, philosophy, and politics.

In reading this volume of essays, I was reminded of the great appeal Beethoven has exerted, and continues to exert on many people. Unlike most other composers of art music, his work has been an inspriation to people of all nationalities, ages, and walks of life from the most learned to the untutored. His music has the capacity to draw listeners in, to make them involved, and to demand a response. I got to know Beethoven's music, and something of his life, as a child and his hold upon me has continued. This book helps to develop and to explain the devotion Beethoven continues to inspire. As Scott Burnham states at the conclusion of his essay, "The Four Ages of Beethoven" (p.291)

"Even now, after a century seemingly intent on annihilating all formerly comforting illusions of greatness and transcendent authority offered by the leading figures in our history, we have not yet managed to put the Beethoven myth behind us. For Beethoven continues to require that we grapple with him, continues to ask much of us, to call us out. This, more than anything, is why we cannot let him go: his music remains a sounding provocation to what we are pleased to think of as our better selves."

This book will be of most immediate interest to those readers who already know Beethoven's music and who have read some of the many excellent basic studies of his life and works, such as the recent biographies by Maynard Solomon, Barry Cooper, and Lewis Lockwood, among others.

Robin Friedman

An Excellent Compendium..........2005-01-03

With the superfulity of books on a great subject like Beethoven, it can be difficult to know where to start. Well, start here!

This is really a nice book filled with authoritative essays on the Master. It's recent, the information up-to-date, and it has a very scholarly ambience of respect and admiration for the great artist, but with a clear-eyed common-sense approach unmuddied by mythos. Highly recommended.

Book Description

Shocking! Controversial! A Circus Show!

These expressions come most to mind when describing the wildly popular Jerry Springer Show. Inside are the 23 craziest episodes ever aired on TV (and one that was too racy to make it that far)! Experience the love one man feels for his mare in "I Married a Horse." Learn about what it takes to have sex with 251 men in 10 hours. What happens when a woman in labor confronts her husband's mistress? How far will Jerry go to rescue an obese man? How does a male guest react when he finds out his girlfriend is really a guy?

The answers to these questions and so much more can be found in this outrageous companion to the show. Find out how show topics are chosen, how guests' stories are checked out, and how the staff cruises strip joints for last-minute segments. Open this book and relive the passion, the lies, the intrigue, the hair-pulling, the chair-throwing, the disgustall that makes the Jerry Springer Show the most popular talk show in America.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Pictures!.......2003-11-04

This book covers some of the most controversial shows from the Jerry Springer Show, with pictures. There are also comments from the staff of the show about what they do. This book should be taken with a grain of salt, it is meant as entertainment.

The show - in book form!.......1999-06-28

If you like Jerry, this book is for you. Richly illustrated, it is a great buy.

Book Description

If you want to become a resourceful creative artist then look no further! This quick reference to After Effects will show you how to open, install and get up-and-running to a professional level with Adobes motion graphics and visual effects software package.

Curtis Sponsler guides you through some of the common stumbling blocks that frustrate novice and many intermediate designers. Clear and concise full color examples will help you to quickly learn the key features, interface and functional techniques used within the production workspace. By putting these key skills into practice you will discover how to build on and extrapolate concepts, enabling you to solve common production design problems straight away! You can then move on to build simple compositions and progress into the advanced feature-set of After Effects.

As you work through each section you will grasp an ever-increasing array of tools and capabilities to discover a program that will well and truly change your working life!

Associated Website: www.focalpress.com/companions/024051968X

* Achieve excellent results, fast, through Curtis Sponsler's expert teaching
* Clear and concise color coverage helps you explore the full power of the program
* Ideal for editors who want to learn how to push their skills to a professional level with this affordable package

Customer Reviews:

Excellent starter book!.......2007-05-22

I love this book, it's easy to read and understand even for an artistic type. The book is spangled with pictures, and visual guides. I use this for my beginning motion graphics class and all kinds of students are able to understand it.
AND above all it is not horribly expensive like all other software books!
Great starter book if you want to get familiar with After Effects!

A Useful book with one main problem.......2006-10-25

As an artist with a lot of 2d experience in animation who needs to absorb several new animation programs quickly, I find this book very easy to read and well organized.
There is one major problem though (actually, perhaps two).
Key components of the book are the 'downloadable' files located at the publishers' site online (rather than on CD as with other computer books). Many of these files seem to be corrupted or do not open in a newer version of AI. In addition there appears to be no 'help' page or resource for this problem from the publishers. I am unsure how much I'll be able to learn here without being able to perform many of the examples and lessons featured in the book.
I really want to like this book a lot more than I feel I am able.

excellent for curious and first-timers.......2005-10-16

After Effects is an amazing program, so powerful, so intuitive. People that are already committed to taking it on will be better off with the excellent but very dense Trish Meyers books. People that have gentler goals and less technical experience will be overwhelmed by them, and probably quit before they really crack AE, so that's where this book comes in.

AE is potentially a radical tool; with it anyone with a computer and a DVD burner is a film and animation studio. Far more people could learn it, and to that end this book is a useful thing: it isn't as thorough as the Meyers books or the also-excellent H.O.T. book, but as a quick spin through the essentials, a teaser to get you excited and briefed so you'll be ready to take on heavier selections, it's a good choice.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books